Happy Labor Day : Celebrations Series PT 6
by Theadosia57
Summary: Bella is now starting her new life in England with Carlisle. Emmett reflects on his choices good and bad. Emmett's P.O.V Pt 6 of Celebrations. Carlisle/Bella DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its characters belong to S. Meyer. Otherwise, the rest is my musings on an AU.


**Part 6 of my tale, it's Labor day and Emmett's POV. Only one more to go Thanksgiving for a look at everyone xx Alexis**

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Emmett had asked himself many times since before Christmas last year, what makes a man? But he was never really sure he knew the right answer. He was a grown-up he knew that even if he hadn't acted very much like one before now. He had allowed himself to regress back into the child he never was, why? Because basically he could! He had been enabled by all the Cullens to play the fool with little or no consequences until now. They just forgot one thing, he wasn't stupid!

He also knew his human parents would be ashamed of him. Ashamed that he would participate in what happened; ashamed he'd done nothing to help Carlisle or even Bella. He'd called one father and the other sister, but when the chips were down he had put his own selfishness first, it wasn't even for greed like the others. No, he was just too lazy to stop them or go against the group mentality. Even now in the few short months, he'd been on his own, he had found out that Edward had lied and Alice had given him false visions.

A couple of nomads had said if he ever was looking for a new home Volterra was the place. Why? Because they were crying out for vampires who understood technology and the cyber world! They had known and lied to him, playing on his fears. So what else had they lied about? But the worst of it was he never once queried what they said or asked any other opinion. Peter Whitlock or even Garrett would have told him the truth. So he now realised he didn't want to know, he was happy being a free-loading layabout. He was the computer expert, with just a few taps on the keyboard he could have blown Edward and Alice out of the water, but he didn't even try. So no, he knew he wasn't a man then, but he could be now.

**HLD**

Since arriving in New York, he had made several forays into the deep web and several more into the murkier dark web. He loved that feeling of being the one in control. He could write code and anti-virus' faster than anyone creating them. He, unlike normal humans, had a deeper and more expansive understanding of what was legit and what was not.

He could track people faster than anyone else, also was able to lock people out of their own programmes. Or reroute information and just be the less honest humans, their worst nightmare. He unlike them could move through cyberspace undetected. Rumours had started that someone or something was watching them all, but no one could actually trace him or prove it. At first, everyone assumed the powers that be had found a new way to detect and stop them, but even they were now furiously trying to find out who he was. So in just those few months, he was well on his way to becoming an urban legend and it amused him a lot.

He had been nicknamed 'Stealth' by the CIA and he was happy occasionally lending a hand or keyboard stroke on behalf of the government. But a few months ago he had to make himself known, a ring of human traffickers were continuously evading the law, he was becoming aware of them and often threw a spanner in their works. But they were getting greedy and more children were involved and Emmett didn't like that at all so he started to dig. Unlike everyone else, his searches were more in-depth and far-reaching.

He could access stuff others though gone and no encryption was safe from Emmett. So in less than 36 hours, he found the problem, the CIA had a mole. Their own cyber division was involved; one of the very people meant to help them was helping the traffickers. Hacking into their secure site was easy for him and he took over one of their screens to say,

**Stealth: YOU HAVE A MOLE!**

Emmett guessed the guy would try to run and also locked the building down,

**Stealth: ALL INFORMATION CAME FROM THE THAT CONSOL**

Suddenly one of the computers started making tons of noise and the printer beside it started printing screeds of stuff and all eyes were on the fool pounding on the locked glass door.

**Stealth: PIER 41 NOW! **

This message flashed on ever monitor now and the lockdown was cancelled.

That was the day Emmett felt like a real man for the first time in a very long time. He watched the news as the ring was rounded up and dozens of people were freed. He rested on his laurels for one hour before sending the CIA a list of every person who had gone missing that year due to the gang and where they were to be found. Even those who didn't make it to their new destinations. The fact that it just happened to be Sunday the 16th of June didn't pass Emmett by at all. He was beginning to feel he could repay Carlisle in deeds, for what he had tried to do for him. It might be indirectly, but if Carlisle had never changed him, then those people would not have been saved,

"Happy Father's Day Carlisle!" he murmured to himself sadly.

**HLD**

Emmett was fully aware where everyone was and what they were up to. He was happy for Rose and Esme; they had like him learned a grave lesson and were also in their own way giving back to Carlisle indirectly. Jasper had redeemed himself with Carlisle and Bella. Emmett wondered how he had believed the Major would do what they did. Hindsight was surely 20/20 right enough. Then there was Alice, well she's on her feet, but on her own too, no friends, no one who cared.

Just like Rose and Esme, Emmett was getting to know the humans around him. He even did odd jobs for the old couple below him; he was gaining back his self-worth and proving to himself he was more than just a layabout. It was a good feeling. As for Edward, Emmett also knew how he was fairing and he felt he deserved it. They wanted Carlisle's money, but Edward wanted his life! Almost to be him, what the fool didn't grasp was Carlisle was unique.

The government was now aware that he was on their side bombarded Emmett with offers of jobs, for vast sums of money but he refused. He did tell them to donate whatever they would have paid him to charity or good works. He gave them a list which included Esme, Rose and Carlisle's foundations. He added other's not singling them out particularly and they were spread worldwide.

He didn't need any money as he still wrote programmes for games and even got a job part-time in a game store to fulfil his inner geek, it allowed him to make acquaintances and that was enough for now. He was enjoying the freedom of being on his own too much for now. Years of being ordered about by Rose, never having his own space had made him yearn for some alone time.

**HLD**

On the 4th of July Emmett received an email from Jasper,

**From: J Whitlock**

**To: E McCarty**

**Subject: The Future**

**Em, I know you know now, I set you all up. I won't apologise, it was wrong and beneath you all. I lay the blame firmly at the gruesome twosome's door. We all took Carlisle for granted, even me. But tryin' to steal his mate was a step too far and I couldn't let it go.**

**If you feel you can get passed this, I'm always here for you. It was a hard decision for me to make, lettin' you all fall, but they would have sussed it out otherwise. Peter tells me you're doin' good things and makin' a new life for yourself. I'm glad, you were always better than they let you be.**

**Take care Em, My door in Texas is always open and one day I hope we will meet and be friends once again.**

**Jasper**

Emmett was neither angry nor upset with Jasper, he knew what he did was the right thing and for the right reasons. But he wanted to be in a better place before he connected up with anyone from his old family. So he answered saying,

**From: E McCarty**

**To: J Whitlock**

**Subject: One day**

**Thanks, man, I'm doing good. I'll take you up on that offer one day, but for now, I need to find me. I don't know who I really am; I was Carlisle's goofball son, Rose's lapdog, Edward's stooge. Now I need to find the real me, someone I can be proud of. **

**It's nice to know that you and Pete have got my back though, so thank you.**

**Your friend **

**Emmett**

Emmett was happy to leave it at that for now. Knowing someone out there still cared about him was a good feeling.

**HLD**

"Carlisle, it's Labor day back home, but not here, how come?" Bella asked as they lay cuddled up on the bed watching the rain falling outside,

"Oh, Labour Day is in May, here in the UK sweetheart," he said absentmindedly while stroking her hair.

"It's strange isn't it, how we are so alike but so dissimilar. The language is much the same, but so different too. Same with a few of the customs and then we have ones they don't and vice versa. It's going to be strange for me isn't it?" Bella asked now staring into his golden eyes,

"A little perhaps, even I don't always remember to add in that extra U, which is crazy because I was born here!" he answered laughing now.

They had been there in the UK for two weeks and Bella had never been happier, even if it did rain here, as much as Forks did. The museums, the architecture, the book shops, made up for it she was in her element.

"With the fact, I love the classics so damned much and all that goes along with it. I should have been British not you!" she said laughing at her own thoughts,

"I can remedy that sweetheart. If you marry me you'll get dual nationality!" Carlisle replied holding his breath.

He'd wanted to do this since his return to her side in forks, but Carlisle knew she hadn't been ready for something so heavy back then, but now that they were there in London, he just had to ask, to make her his as soon as possible.

"I..., wow, yes! Of course, I'll marry you, I love you Carlisle" she replied with tears of happiness in her eyes,

"Oh, thank heavens!" he puffed out and slid off the bed onto his knees and presented her with a box.

It held a ring of 18-carat gold, which had a foliate shank with a rose-cut Ruby coloured rock crystal in a hexagonal shaped setting; it took Bella's breath away. It was simple, but stunning at the same time.

"It's Dutch, from around 1580; it was my mothers ring Bella. Her family were quite rich for that time and it was handed down to their oldest daughter, my grandmother, then to my mother herself. But she died giving birth to me; her will said she left it to me. To be gifted on the occasion of my 20th birthday through her family's lawyers. My father was outraged that she had hidden something so expensive from him and tried to take it. That was the first time I stood up to him and said No!" Carlisle said smiling at her sadly,

Bella wrapped her arms around him pressing her lips to his, gently showing him by deed she understood and thought he was right.

"I love it and I will treasure it always, Carlisle" she whispered,

"It came with a short note,

'_**Carlisle my precious son, this is for the woman you will love above all others, your loving mother Amelia' **_

I think she knew she wouldn't survive my birth and she knew somehow I would be a boy too" he explained with tears in his eyes for the woman he never knew.

Bella held him securely to her, his head on her chest, soothing him as if he were a child. They both looked at the ring on her finger, the past and the present both swirling together around them in the house that once had been Amelia's.

**HLD**

Today was Monday the 2nd of September, Labor Day and for the first time since he was human, Emmett felt like part of the workforce. Certainly not as physically as when he worked with his father and other siblings, but he was now contributing to the wellbeing of others and that felt good, satisfying even. He was beginning like Rose and Esme to see why Carlisle continued to practise medicine. It's wasn't to be patted on the back or to be recognised for good deeds done. It was for the satisfaction of himself, to know he had done good in the world and to feel good about that.

Out on the streets and in their own homes people were celebrating and taking advantage of the federal holiday. Emmett wasn't joining n on any events or getting involved, but he could hear and sense the humans around him doing so and smiled for the first time in a long time. He was enjoying for once an inner peace that was hard to attain when he had lived with his vampire family. Most couldn't grasp the concept, especially as some had never worked a day in their lives.

The CIA were testing him out, asking him to do little things for them. Nothing too major just now but slowly and soon they would turn to him more and more to solve their more serious cybercrimes. He didn't mind, in fact he enjoyed the feeling of being needed, being part of the bigger picture, even if no one knew who he was. Sometimes he was aware, long before them of something happening and would forewarn them. They were falling into a good work ethic.

**HLD**

"How are you today Edward? Is the solitude bringing you any peace?" Marcus asked kindly, the boy was a fool, but the suffering he felt was real and Marcus knew all about suffering.

"Much better Master Marcus. I'm learning to push them away, one set of thoughts at a time. It's the shouters I'm having the most trouble with" the boy answered meekly and with respect, it appears Edward can learn,

"Let me guess your shouters, Caius, Felix, Jane and Heidi. Am I right? He replied and Edward nodded solemnly.

"Start with the loudest, master that one and the other three will also disappear," Marcus said patting his shoulder as he walked away,

Marcus had given Edward a free pass between eight and ten at night, if he fell victim to any thoughts he was not punished. This way he could actually practise pushing them away. Otherwise, the circle of thought, pain and punishment would be never-ending and that taught him nothing.

"Oh, In case you weren't aware it is now the 2nd of September Edward" Marcus no told him over his shoulder,

It's Labor Day in America today; did you know this is the first job I've ever had, Master Marcus?" Edward now said in abject misery.

"Well Edward, at least from here the only way to go is upwards!" Marcus told him wisely and Edward sighed, the glass was either half full or half empty the choice was your own to make.

**HLD**

"Hi, dad. So what did you do for the Labor Day weekend?" Bella quizzed her father, but guessing it would have been fishing if he was off, Charlie rarely did anything else.

Of all the people in Bella's life, Charlie Swan was the most reliable, dependable and some would say far too predictable. But he was what gave her life stability. Being able to know at any given time where he'd be and what he was doing was always a comfort to her. Where many, including his ex-wife saw his life as boring, Bella saw it as a sign of contentedness, a deep understanding of himself.

Bella also would not have been surprised with how Emmett was fairing if she and Carlisle had known what he was doing. She always felt he was the most like her father, of all the Cullens. Bella had felt Emmett had just lost his way in the sea of misinformation Edward and Alice had fed him. She was most likely to forgive him about the past than the other four. Even Carlisle thought this and was more saddened by his behaviour rather than devastated

**HLD**

The day was coming to a close and Emmett could see even in such a short space of time his life had changed, he had changed. In only nine months he had become a respected member of the community. This was in both his personal and professional lives. It was nice to not be in everyone's shadow, to be his own man so to speak. Emmett was finally learning life lesson he should already have known.

He was becoming more confident in himself and in the future he would be finally able to reach out the others, except Alice and Edward. He doubted he would ever trust them again.

**From: E McCarty**

**To: J Whitlock**

**Subject: Friendship**

**Jasper**

**What's Texas like at thanksgiving? Thought I might catch up with you then, Let me know your thoughts**

**Emmett**

This was a big step for Emmett, repairing the bond with Jasper would go a long way to help him reach out to Esme and Rose and one day maybe even Carlisle and Bella. Other vampires too would come to respect him as an individual and not just as one of Carlisle's coven and this would benefit him both emotionally and give him standing in the vampire community he never had before. It was a long life and friends and contacts were important.

Unlike Alice, Emmett would see their value as a network, there to help out a fellow vampire and not as pawns to be used for your own gain. Not all life was about what you could gain, but more about what you could learn. Eternity was a long time if you had to spend it alone and isolated. Friends were a necessity to help you keep your sanity and Emmett was for the main part someone who didn't do well alone.

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**Foliate - **decorated with leaves or leaf-like motifs.

**Labor Day** in the United States of America is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honours the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. **Labor Day** pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers, **and ****Labor Day** 2019 occurs on Monday, September 2 (it's traditionally observed on the first Monday in September). It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894**.**


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